“You’ll enjoy it, won’t you?”

I wasn’t like some of my men who hungered for the thrill of torturing others, but with Remo I’d enjoy every second of his agony. I brushed my nose along Val’s throat. I didn’t reply, because Val wanted to hear something else. My calm, controlled exterior often let her forget my less than civil nature, the depravity I kept hidden from her and our children and would always do. “Remo won’t receive mercy from either of us.”

Pietro, Samuel, and Danilo were just as eager for bloodshed as me. We’d bring Remo to his knees together, would relish in his demise, and once he was dismembered and purged from this world, we’d figure out a way to leave the burden of his actions behind, to move on.

I drove the car to the meeting point, Danilo beside me. Pietro and Samuel sat on either side of Adamo who hunched forward, breathing heavily.

When I parked the car, he looked up and his eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. Those damn dark Falcone eyes. Only fifteen but he looked like he couldn’t care less if I put a bullet in his head or not.

“Time to exchange you for your fucking brother,” Samuel said, voice tight with eagerness.

“You don’t know anything about Remo if you think he’ll give you what you want,” Adamo muttered.

“And what do we want, Falcone?” Danilo growled.

“Break him. But my brother is unbreakable. You should have kept torturing me. That would have been more fun.”

I pushed open the door. “I don’t have time for this nonsense, boy. Your brother is going to break. They all do.”

Remo, Nino, and a third man, probably another Falcone brother, waited beside a car. Samuel hoisted Adamo out of the backseat and dragged him toward Danilo, Pietro, and me.

Remo’s expression hardened. No sign of his previous triumph or taunting. I gave Samuel a sign and he shoved Adamo toward his brothers. Adamo fell to his knees, holding his broken arm against his body. The way he looked up at Remo revealed a bond that didn’t make sense to me, not from what I knew of the Falcones. Remo touched his brother’s head in a way I sometimes touched Leonas then they linked arms.

Samuel stepped forward and punched Remo’s face, then kicked him in the groin before he smashed his gun against his temple. Remo passed out with that fucking twisted smile on his face. I motioned at a few soldiers. They rushed forward and grabbed Remo then carried him over to a car where they shoved him into a trunk.

The Falcones were already in their car but Nino looked at me with pure calculation.

I got back into the car and we headed back to the safehouse where we’d dismember Remo over the next two days.

Samuel let out a disbelieving laugh and clapped Pietro’s shoulder who gave a tense smile. Danilo leaned back with a deep sigh.

“We got him,” Samuel said. “We really got him. Fuck. I can’t believe we can tear the fucker apart.”

“I get the honor of cutting his dick off,” Danilo said.

“We agreed on that, yes.” Danilo still hadn’t gotten over Serafina, or that Remo had dishonored her. His reign over Indianapolis had become more rigorous and brutal than that of his father had ever been, but he was effective and loyal, so I let him do what he felt necessary, even if it was fueled by his unrestrained fury. Maybe after Remo’s death, he’d be able to move on. Maybe we all could.

Serafina waited for us in the safehouse. Pietro gave me an uncertain look. He didn’t like the idea of her watching the torture, but like Serafina had said: she deserved to be present.

We dragged Remo into the vast hall. I hadn’t said a word to Remo yet, hadn’t even looked directly at him yet. I knew I’d have trouble restraining myself if I did, and I wanted to be behind soundproof walls before that happened.

Serafina paled as she saw Remo.

“Angel,” Remo murmured.

My head turned to him, my brows pulling tight. Angel?

Samuel didn’t give Remo the chance for more words by punching him.

“This is your chance to ask for forgiveness,” Pietro said.

Remo glanced at him until his gaze finally met mine. No sign of fear yet. That would change soon. Every man had a breaking point. He looked at Serafina again. “Do you want me to beg for forgiveness?”

“I won’t give you my forgiveness,” Serafina said. I motioned at Samuel and Danilo to take Remo away to the torture room. Once they were gone, I approached Serafina.

A hint of conflict shone in her eyes. “He will ask for forgiveness in the end,” I said.

Serafina gave me a strange, forlorn smile. “I don’t want him to because it would be false.” She paused. “You will castrate him?”

I preferred not to involve women in the gruesome details of our torture practices, not even Val. I respected her but she tended to be struck by pity even for someone like Remo. Still, Serafina deserved a reply and I couldn’t imagine her being overcome with sympathy for her tormentor.

“Tomorrow. Not today. It would speed up his death too much. Danilo and Samuel will do it. I’m not sure you should watch any of this, but maybe you need to. Today will be easier to stomach than tomorrow, so stay if it’s what you want.”

“Thanks,” she said before she headed over to the screens where she’d be able to watch us handling Remo.

I gave a curt nod toward the guard sitting beside her before I made my way toward the torture room. My pulse sped up, a strange occurrence. Usually it took a bit for torture to get a spike in my heart rate. Not today. This felt almost like the first few times Father had made me be part of torture sessions.

When I entered the room, Remo lay on the bare stone floor while Danilo and Samuel kicked him over and over again.

He didn’t fight the blows only stared up at the camera up in the corner as if he knew Serafina was watching. Pietro unsheathed his knife and cut Remo’s chest. Then Samuel did the same followed by Danilo.

When it was my turn, I squatted beside Remo. He smiled, revealing his blood-coated teeth. “This gives you all a fucking erection, doesn’t it?”

I gave him a cold smile as I withdrew my knife from my holster. “Let’s see how long you will hold on to your arrogance.”

“You really want to talk about arrogance with me, Dante?”

I dug the tip of my knife into his armpit, knowing it was one of the most sensitive spots. Remo tensed but didn’t make a sound, his gaze not wavering from mine. He was familiar with pain. His father probably conditioned him like mine had. He’d be a challenge. “Everyone begs in the end.”

Remo’s mouth pulled wider. “Would you?”

I’d die before I’d beg anyone for mercy. “Don’t compare me to you. We’re nothing alike.”

Remo laughed. “Oh, but we are. That gleam in your eyes, I get it every time I take a knife to someone’s skin. It’s the fucking best. Do you really think you’re something better only because you hide your monstrosity behind a fucking three-piece-suit?”

“Remo, you’ll meet my monster, don’t worry. Unlike you, I don’t rape women to get a power rush.” I pushed my knife deeper into his pit then motioned for Danilo to come forward with the lighter.

A few hours later, I cleaned my hands.

Samuel shook his head, muttering. “When’s the fucker going to beg? Fuck it.”